Chapter 322 - Emerson's Message

By the time Avaleigh arrived back at Emerson's apartment, it was already 6pm. She quickly dropped all her shopping and went about preparing dinner. The average person had dinner around 7pm, so she only had 1 hour to make everything that she wanted to. She knew it wasn't enough time, but she hoped to at least have some appetizers ready by the time Emerson got back.

It had been a long time since she cooked such an elaborate meal. Back when she was in Hong Kong, she used to cook with her mother often. They were poor and could not afford to eat out, so buying their own ingredients and preparing their own meals was the best way to save money. Later on in life, it became a memory that she treasured. Even though she managed to bring her mother to Korea with her and she got her mother a place to stay, Avaleigh was required to stay in the dorms with the other girls, so she barely got to see her mother, let alone cook and eat with her.

But, she did continue to cook for herself whenever she did, even though she was limited to a strict diet. And, she was quite good at it! One of her healthy recipes were even trending on social media for a while after she shared it on her account. Probably, due to her love for food and cooking, Emerson's actions happened to hit the right spot and leave a lasting impression on her.

To help herself focus and work faster, Avaleigh decided to turn on some fast and lively music. While she cooked she danced around the kitchen and sang along to the songs. For that short moment in the kitchen, she completely forgot about the terrifying scene she had witnessed that morning, and the fact that someone close to her was dead. Perhaps, this was her way of coping with trauma.

While she was tossing some ingredients in the wok and they were sizzling away, the front door opened and Emerson finally arrived home. 

As soon as he stepped inside, he was surprised by the sight, the smell, and the sounds. Normally, when he returned to this apartment, it was cold, quiet, and empty, but the place felt completely different today. He removed his shoes and walked over to the kitchen where Avaleigh was cooking with her back to him. She was listening to some music and shaking her h.i.p.s as she tossed the food in the wok. It was both cute and slightly seductive.

It reminded him of the night before, when he saw her dancing on stage. Although her stomach was unwell, she was still mesmerizing.

He slowly approached the woman from behind and leaned over her shoulder to see what she was cooking. When Avaleigh sensed his presence, she jumped a little in fright and turned her head subconsciously, accidentally brushing her lips against the man's cheek.

Emerson felt the woman's soft lips and it sent electricity coursing through his body but he remained composed. He didn't want to make the situation awkward.

Avaleigh gasped when she realized what had happened and she quickly turned her head back to the wok and blushed. "I promised you dinner, so I'm following through with my promise. Go have a shower and settle down a bit. You must be tired. Dinner will be ready soon," she said, almost sounding like a housewife talking to her husband.

Emerson glanced at the woman and his lips curved upwards slightly. He was still leaning over her shoulder, but no part of his body was touching hers, yet electricity was jumping endlessly between them. He was so tempted to just wrap her in his arms and kiss her. But, he had told himself earlier that he wasn't going to take advantage of her while her emotions were vulnerable, so he held back and moved away.

"It smells delicious. I'm looking forward to it," his voice was deep and charming as he pulled off his tie and headed into the bathroom.

Avaleigh took a deep breath. The man's presence made her so nervous, she had almost forgotten to breathe. She gently lifted her hand to her lips and felt her heart race. She had given him another indirect kiss...

If her heart was beating so fast now, would she have a heart attack when they shared a real kiss?

Avaleigh quickly shook her head and blushed. What was she thinking? How could a girl be so shameless as to imagine something like that? 

Ding! The oven went off, snapping her out of her daze and she quickly ran over to grab the contents inside.

Inside the bathroom, Emerson was standing under the shower thinking about something. After the press conference earlier that day, he had checked his phone and saw a message from Trisha. He didn't know Trisha well. All he knew was, she had helped him find his sister and she had taken over her brother's role at Interpol, but the mention of Avaleigh spurred him to call her as soon as he boarded his car on the way home.

When he heard what Trisha had discovered through a paparazzi friend, he was shocked. Could Avaleigh be in danger? "Send me the photo. I'm just arriving home now. I'll have a look at it later and speak to Avaleigh about it. Thank you for letting me know," Emerson replied as he got out of his car.

He was originally planning to speak to Avaleigh about it as soon as he returned to his apartment, but when he stepped inside, he was momentarily distracted. Besides, she looked like she was feeling better and he didn't want to destroy her mood, so he decided to talk to her about it after dinner.

But, as he finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed Avaleigh standing frozen beside the kitchen bench staring down at something. As he approached...he realized it was his phone.

"Emerson...you received a message..." Avaleigh said as she stared at the message preview on his screen.

Emerson walked over and glanced down at his screen. Words rolled across the message preview, "Here's the photo of Avaleigh's stalker."

Emerson's eyes opened wide and he quickly glanced at Avaleigh worriedly. She was still staring at the screen with a slight tremble. "Can I see it?" she asked softly.